Former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s last-minute withdrawal from the first anniversary of Raila Odinga’s death in Bondo has raised questions about security and the political tensions surrounding the late former Prime Minister’s legacy.
Sources in Mr Kenyatta’s camp said intelligence reports contributed to the decision not to travel to Bondo on October 15, where he had been expected to attend as chief guest. The nature of the reports was unclear, however, and there was no official confirmation that a specific threat had been identified.
Mr Kenyatta’s advance team had already arrived in Bondo, and a seat had been reserved for him on the VIP dais. His flight was ready to depart from Wilson Airport in Nairobi by 10am on Thursday, according to sources in his camp, but he did not arrive at the airport.
His spokesperson, Kanze Dena-Mararo, gave a more limited explanation, telling Sunday Nation : “There was a change in schedule.”
Asked what had necessitated the change, Ms Dena said there was “an issue that needed his attention” but did not provide further details.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation Media Group
State House rejected suggestions that Mr Ruto had cancelled his attendance because opposition figures were expected at the anniversary.
Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed said the President’s participation in national events could not be determined by the political preferences or affiliations of guests.
“President William Ruto has demonstrated, through word and action, his profound respect for the late Rt Hon Raila Amolo Odinga and his immense contribution to our nation,” Mr Mohamed said, citing the President’s October 7 attendance at the mausoleum’s opening, held with full Kenya Defence Forces honours.
Mr Mohamed said solemn occasions should not become contests over political allegiances or “a theatre of cheap political theatrics and point-scoring”.
Mr Kenyatta’s absence drew particular attention because his relationship with Mr Odinga went beyond that of a former political rival attending a memorial.
Their March 2018 handshake helped reshape Kenyan politics after the disputed 2017 election, bringing the two leaders into cooperation after years on opposing sides.
Mr Kenyatta backed Mr Odinga’s unsuccessful 2022 presidential bid, placing him at odds with his then deputy, Mr Ruto. His absence resonated among Mr Odinga’s allies and critics of the handshake arrangement.
The gathering brought together potential challengers to Mr Ruto in 2027 — Edwin Sifuna, Kalonzo Musyoka, Martha Karua , Eugene Wamalwa and Jimi Wanjigi — and supporters of the broad-based government, including Mr Arati and Mr Wandayi.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua had also been invited but did not attend because he was in the United States. His name became a point of contention for some ODM leaders who objected to sharing a platform with him.
Siaya Governor James Orengo, who attended, suggested that opening the commemoration to leaders across the political divide may have contributed to the absence of senior ODM officials.
“These people have been saying they were Raila’s soldiers, and that they could die for him, and therefore, this event, however difficult it was, and particularly those leaders from the region, for them to miss, it is shocking,” Mr Orengo told Sunday Nation.
National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed said he and other ODM figures stayed away because Mr Gachagua was on the guest list.
The Suna East MP described the former deputy president as a person associated with “hatred, tribalism and other such things”.
Mr Mohamed also criticised Mr Kenyatta for withdrawing at the last minute, accusing him of abandoning Mr Odinga during the 2022 election.
“What also surprised me was that they had invited very prominent guests, including the sponsor himself, Uhuru Kenyatta. The sponsor abandoned us,” he said, adding that he had seen Mr Kenyatta’s reserved seat and assumed he was on his way.
Ida Odinga addresses mourners during the first anniversary commemoration of the death of her husband, former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga, at Migwena Cultural Grounds in Bondo, Siaya County, on October 15, 2026. She appealed to Kenyans to embrace peace, tolerance and love in honour of his legacy.
Photo credit: Alex Odhiambo | Nation Media Group
Raila’s widow, Ida Odinga, sought to separate the family from the political fallout, saying invitations had been extended in fellowship rather than as declarations of political allegiance.
In a statement issued on Friday, she said the family had no quarrel with guests who had been invited but were unable to attend. “Every guest we invited was welcome. The Odinga family has no quarrel with any of them,” she said.
“An invitation to a family commemoration is an expression of fellowship, not a summons. Neither attendance nor absence should be interpreted as a disagreement with our family,” Ms Odinga added.
Ida Odinga: Baba (Raila) belonged to everyone
Ms Odinga warned political leaders against turning her husband’s resting place into a battleground for rivalries, saying his legacy was greater than the political disagreements of the moment. She also thanked Mr Ruto for supporting the construction and completion of the mausoleum.
Other notable absentees included ODM chairperson and Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, as well as Cabinet Secretaries Ali Hassan Joho and Wycliffe Oparanya, both former deputies to Mr Odinga in ODM. Ms Wanga said on social media that she was in Dubai attending the RISE Summit 2026, where she was promoting Homa Bay as an investment destination.
The dispute also highlighted the difficulty of keeping a family memorial separate from the alliances and grievances that shaped Mr Odinga’s final years in politics. The family’s appeal for respect came as leaders offered competing accounts of the event and the absences that had attracted attention in Bondo.
Mr Mohamed said the President would not allow Mr Odinga’s memory, legacy or the solemnity of the commemoration to be trivialised or turned into a contest for political advantage.
